wonderings, wanderings, adventures, and ponderings

Passionate About Herbs

In light of yesterday’s holiday, which (before Christians took over) historically celebrates love and fertility, I chose to highlight the passionflower! This amazing climbing vine grows abundantly in many different climates – I’ve found it in both Tennessee and Mississippi, and is a wonderful medicinal aid.
First, the plant is a known relaxant; the leaves can be eaten raw or made into a tea, giving an effect similar to valerian or kava. Passionflower is pretty commonly blended with lemon balm, catnip, or other calming herbs. The leaves taste pretty sweet, too – nice to munch on for a mild “high”! In addition, passionflower is used in herbal medicine to treat anxiety, insomnia, neck/back pain, and other ailments.
Blue Boy Herbs uses it in their Tranquility tincture, combined with lemon balm, oats, and willow blossoms. It works like a charm – trust me!